DBS Checks Online

DBS Checks don’t last for a specific amount of time. They have no expiry date and the information is only correct at the point of issue.

Certain industries have best practice guides on how often you should complete a new DBS Check. Most organisations tend to carry out new DBS Checks every three years. This is why many think they expire after three years.

DBS Checks can’t be renewed but getting new checks for existing staff is commonly referred to as a renewal. We expand on this in more detail in our knowledge hub article, here.

It is at the employer's discretion whether they are willing to accept a pre-existing DBS certificate. It is recommended that employers run checks on any new staff regardless of existing certification.

The DBS do however run a subscription service, called the DBS Update Service. For a nominal fee (13.p.a) individuals can register their DBS certificate to the Update Service and the DBS will then keep this updated with any information. Individuals can then provide this to any prospective employers.

It’s important to note that DBS certificates on the Update Service are only transferrable if the roles meet the same eligibility criteria.

You can find out more about how to sign up for the Update Service here.

This is entirely down to the discretion of the employer that is requesting the check and the industry you are in.

In certain industries, like care and education, most people need to wait for a DBS Check to be completed before being allowed to work. This is to ensure that vulnerable individuals are safeguarded appropriately.

According to the government, a DBS never technically expires but that doesn’t mean you only need to do one! The certificate information is only accurate up until the date of issue anything beyond this point would require an additional check.

This is why it’s recommended that employers run DBS Checks on new staff even if they’ve had a DBS Check completed recently by another company. Only a new check would determine if an offence had been committed in the interim.

Best practice is to carry out new checks on existing staff every 3 years. Certain industries mandate shorter periods between checks so it’s best to familiarise yourself with the rules in your industry to ensure compliance.

When a DBS Check is completed the certificate is posted out directly to the applicant's current address, as it appears on the application form.

The exception to this is the Basic DBS Check. Applicants have the option to either, provide a ‘care of’ address for the certificate to be posted to, or, have the option to receive the result information only by email.

Employers are not legally obligated to pay for any background checks they want to be completed before you start employment. However, it is definitely best practice for employers to pay for the checks they want completing.

When it comes to criminal record checks, some employers will ask applicants to pay for their DBS Check at first. They then reimburse this in your first wage. This often happens because people sometimes wait for their DBS certificate to arrive and then don’t actually start working.

DBS Checks are designed to protect the most vulnerable members of society. This includes children and adults who are considered vulnerable due to their age, illness or disability. DBS Checks are also designed to protect employers from recruiting people who may be a danger to their business.

When applying for a DBS Check, applicants need to provide either 2 or 3 types of documents, depending on the level of DBS Check. In most cases, DBS documents need to be the original copy as well as still being valid. You can find more information in our guide here.

Specified offences are a type of offence which will never be filtered from a DBS Check. These are usually crimes of a serious violent or sexual nature, or are relevant for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

Generally, the answer is that an arrest alone will not appear on a DBS check. This is because an arrest does not indicate guilt or conviction.

However, there are circumstances where certain information related to arrests might be disclosed on a DBS check. This is usually when the police feel it is relevant and necessary for an employer to be aware of before making a recruitment decision.

Most criminal information has a rehabilitation period associated with it. Convictions will appear on a DBS Certificate until this rehabilitation period has been fulfilled. This is when a conviction becomes ‘spent’.

However, these convictions will still show on a Standard or Enhanced DBS Check, as they both show spent and unspent convictions.

Certain convictions, known as specified offences, will never be removed from a DBS.